Microsoft Store is now selling the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Android phones

The creators of Windows Phone, Microsoft is now selling the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ powered by Android at its online store. Back in April, Microsoft officially announced the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with its services, and today you can finally grab the Android smartphones. As weird as that sounds, Microsoft believes that selling Android smartphones with its own services and apps is a brilliant idea.

The company worked with Samsung to create a special model of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Microsoft Edition come pre-installed with the company’s app such as Launcher, Office and soon Edge browser. It is the same standard models but with OOBE customization where Samsung has replaced its launcher with Microsoft Launcher.

The device has app apps like OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and others pre-installed. The special customized version of Galaxy S8 and S8+ is available at Microsoft Store but only in the United States, at least for now.

“A Microsoft customization is applied to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Microsoft Edition when the devices are unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi. This customization ensures customers a best-in-class productivity experience with Microsoft applications such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and more,” Microsoft explains.

While this is far from ideal I’m not sure what MS could have done after decapitating WM. No doubt this is Plan D but encouraging Android users to install and use MS apps and services is their only play.

I’m afraid the future for MS is cloudy…just not in the way Mr Nadella is hoping.